About Edward AGAR AGER

William Ager (Ca. 1750 - 1812)

William Ager came witham some time in the late eighteenth century. He was by then a grown man and a carpenter by trade. Unfortunately no clue has yet been found as to his origins. He was not baptised in Witham and although there are a few earlier references to Ager in the parish registers none of these seem to relate to any families residing permanently in Witham.

Certainly whatever his origins, the starting point for this is the marriage of William Ager to Rebecca Hawkes at parish church of St. Nicholas at Witham. This took place on 6th October 1781 in the presence of Ann Sly and Mary Reynolds who acted as witnesses. The banns had been read on September 2nd, 9th and 16th and in the Bann’s book the couple are described as being of the parish of Witham. Possibly they both may have only lived there for a very short time, since Rebecca’s baptism is not recorded locally either. Neither of them could sign their name, although both the witnesses to the marriage did. This lack of education leads to some confusion in later years as some of the descendants of this couple use the name Agar as well.

However even if William and Rebecca had not previously been settled in the town they readily made it their home and in due course their various offspring were baptised in the same parish church. There were quite a number of these. All of the children that survived their infancy were given some education at the local Sunday school.

William died on 10 Dec 1812, and was buried at St Nicholas Church whilst his wife Rebecca lived on to reach her eightieth year and was interred in the same churchyard on 23 Feb 1836. Neither seems to have left a will.

1-3) Elizabeth. Ann and William

Again there is little that can be said about the three eldest children. Elizabeth born on 7th August 1782 was baptised on 1st September. She was enrolled at the Sunday school on 3 Jan 1790 at the age of seven and left at Lady day in 1794. Nothing is known about her later life.

Her brother William was born three years later on 31st May and christened on 19th Jun 1785. He started attending Sunday School at Michaelmas 1792 and went into trade at Michaemas 1800 after which he is no longer mentioned. The intermediate girl, Ann, was born on 22nd August 1783, baptised on 12 October in the same year and was buried in Witham churchyard on 22 August 1786. She didn’t even reach her third birthday.

4) Edward Ager (1787 - 1854)

It is not until Edward was born on 22 Feb 1787 that there was any continuity in the family. He grew up in the town and attended school there from Lady Day 1793 when he was six. He was married at Witham Church by banns in the presence of William & Elizabeth Trew on 28 October 1806. His wife was Mary Harris who was also a native of Witham. The couple also had large family.

Edward followed his father and was also a carpenter by trade, working throughout his entire life in Witham. It does sen quite probable however that he wife Mary was also running a grocer’s shop at the same time for in 1826 Edward Ager is described both as a general dealer and also a carpenter and builder In 1838 he was living in property of a rental of £18 per annum and rated at £6. He is also listed under both trades in Pigot’s Directory of 1839 Both in that year and the 1841 census he is recorded as being in Newland Street. In 1845 he was recorded in the Post Office Directory as the landlord of the Carpenters Arms which was in Newland street, but by 1851 he was described as the licencee of the Beehive in Mill Street. He was then also described as a carpenter and farmer. Towards the end of his life he was also running a coal business which seems later to have been taken over by the Rumsey family.

Edward made his will on 28 May 1853. It was presumably drawn up by Charles Douglas the solicitor who signs it as a witness. The other witness was James Mann. In it he appoints his two sons in law, Henry and Thomas Wren as his executors, together with Alex George Proctor a local surgeon. Under the terms of the will Edward’s leasehold property was left to the executors (subject to the existing mortgage) to provide an income to his wife for the remainder of her life and then to his children, Rebecca Wren, Edward Ager, Sarah Rackham, Elizabeth Lambirth, Susan Wren, William Agar, Rosetta Rumsey and Mary Ann Threadgold “share and share alike”. All his household goods were left directly to his wife.

When Edward died on 21 Aug 1854 he was buried at the new church of All Saints. The funeral took place on 26th. His will was proved at the Archdeaconry of Colchester’s court on 11 Aug 1856 by Henry Stephen Wren and Alex George Proctor. Edward’s wife outlived him and is described in the 1861 census as a householder at Mill Lane. At that time she was living on her own, but her son in law and daughter, Job Threadkeld and his wife were residing next door. Presumably she was getting an income from her late husband’s property under the terms of his will. She was eventually buried in the same grave as her husband five years later on 10 Nov. 1865. Their tombstone recorded a few years ago bears the inscription:- Sacred / to the memory of / EDWARD AGAR / of this parish / who died August 21 1854 / aged 67 years / also of / MARY / wife of the above / who died November 3 1865 / aged 80 years /

Their children included

A) Mary Ann Ager (1807-08)

Mary Ann the eldest daughter was baptised at St Nicholas’ Church on 2 August 1807. She died as a baby and was buried on 30th December 1808. The entry in the burial register records her as Mary Ager.

B) Rebecca Agar (1809 - 1889)

Rebecca was christened at Witham parish church on 3 Dec 1809. She married Henry Stephen Wren at St Leonard’s Shoreditch on 7 April 1834. She is named as Rebecca Wren in her father’s will in 1853 and he is described as a son in law..

C) Edward Agar (1812 - 1854)

Edward Agar was baptised on 18 Feb 1812. He followed his father’s trade and became a carpenter, although according to Pigot’s directory of 1839 either he or his father may have run a grocery business for a time. He married some time in the 1840s but this did not take place in Witham and has not yet been traced. His wife’s name was Mary Ann and she was about two years younger than him

D) Mary Ann Ager (1818 -

Mary Ann was baptised on 12 Jun 1814 and is recorded in the 1841 Census living in Newland Street along with her sisters Susan and Rosetta. She married Job Threadkeld or Threadkell, a local wheelwright, on 26 December 1848

E) Elizabeth Ager (1816 -

Elizabeth Agar was baptised on 8th September 1816 at Witham. By 1841 she was living in the adjacent house to her parents together with her two sisters. She married Frederick Willsher Lambert at the local Church on 24 October 1842

F) Sarah Ager (1818 -

Sarah was christened on 2 August 1818 at Witham. She married Simon Rackham, a miller from Prittlewell, on 3rd April 1841.

G) Susan Ager (1820 -

Susan was baptised on 6 August 1820 and by the 1841 census was living in the house next door to her parents with her sister Mary. She married Thomas Wren, the son of Stephen and Mary Wren on 5th September 1843 at Witham.

H) William Ager (1823 -

William Agar was born on 6th April 1823. At the time of the 1841 census he was living at home and described as a carpenter. He married Mary Ann Sansom, a tailor’s daughter on 18th August 1847 at Witham. The register is signed by Edward, Rosetta & Mary Ann Agar together with Job Threadkeld as the fourth witnesses. William was also a carpenter by trade. In later years they moved to Kelvedon a few miles further along the Colchester road. where the family are recorded in 1851. He was then still working as a carpenter. In May 1853 William was named as one of the beneficiaries in his father’s will. William aged 30 with Mary aged 31 together with their two children aged 4 and 2 emigrated to Australia the 1850s.

They had two children born at Witham:-

Mary Ann Sansom Agar was baptised 21 March 1849 at the same time as her cousin Edward Thomas and is recorded in the 1851 census at Kelvedon.

William Edward Agar was christened on 3 Dec 1851

9th February 2001

Known Residents of the Beehive Pub

The following entries are in this format:

Year/Publican or other Resident/Relationship to Head and or Occupation/Age/Where Born/Source.